Water-heater.



J. ELLIS.

WATER HEATER.

ABPLICATION man OCT. 18. 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET jg! Q wwwvwvwwv A A ll J/ Q1 WITNESSES INVENTOR J. ELLIS.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. .I9I5.

1,204,853. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNI ED STATES PATENT ore .TonN ELLIS,I'OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, 4SSIGN03, BY nmEcT- ANn MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE HOFFMAN HEATER COMPANY, orLonAIN, OHIO, a CORPO- RATION Y OF OHIO.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,357.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, JOHN ELLIS, a c1t1zen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh,

- in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful-Improvement in Water-Heaters, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in so-called instantaneous water heaters.

Q The objects of my invention are, first; to

provide a water heater of this typehaving means for producing and delivering water at a uniform predetermined temperature and volume atdifferent andvarying elevations, as, for instance, on various floors of a building or dwelling, secondly; the productlon in such type of heaters of means for shutting off the flow of gas in the event the water reaches a predetermined high temperature, and a quantity of water less than the capacity of the heater is beingdelivered at .the'

faucet, thirdly, to prevent burning out or bursting of the coils of the heater by overheating. I accomplish these several oblects by means of the device illustrated 1n the drawings hereto "attached, which show one form of the device adapted to carry out my invention. o

In said drawings Figure 1 1s a slde elevation of a heaterhaving my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the water and gas control mechanism enlarged, and partly in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isan enlarged side elevation of one of the gasvalve elements, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged s1de elevation of the water valve parts, partly in section.

Referring to said drawings for the constructionand general arrangement, the nu-, meral 1 designates the shell of a heater, 2

I the water-heating coil located therein above a suitable gas burner 2, disposed in the base of the shell, and 3 the gas supply line leading to the burner.

Located in the gas supply line is a gas valve, comprising a chamber 4 hayingv a removable head 5 and an oppositely disposed extension provided with a stufling box 6, there being a seatformed about the interlor gas orifice 7. A valve proper, 8, is normally held seated over the valve orifice and is movable toward the .same by a spiral spring 9, having a washer 10 disposed on the valve face to insure perfect contact with the seat, said valve being provided with a stem 11 which extends through the stufling box 6.

Connected to the gas chamber, by a yoke 12, 1s a water chamber 13,- provided at its forward or connected end with a stufing box 14 and at its opposite or rear end with' a removable head 15. This chamber has a shouldered bore 16, there being an intake port 17, leading from its connection with the cold water inlet pipe 18, which extends into the rear or enlarged portion of the bore. At the opposite side of the chamber there is also formed a port 19 which extends from the rear of the chamber to and communicates with the forward or smaller portion of the bore by a transverse port 20, said port19be1ng really a continuation of the cold Water intake port 16. The cold Water outlet pipe, 20, which connects with the upper end of the heater coil, communicates with the chamber at the outlet 21.

. Fitted into the chamber, across the port 20, and in line with the port 19, is a bridging sleeve, 22, having a seat formed at its rear end. 'This sleeve is provided with a plurality of circumferentially-disposedports or orifices 23, which in practice form com-. munication between said. ports 19 and 20 for the incoming water. Normally seated onthe end of said sleeve is a water controlling valve 24, which tapers off to and forms a stem 25-which xtends through the stuffing box 26 of the chamber casing. This Valve' .with a stem 30, which stem extends through the stuffing box 14 in line with and .to a

. point close to the end of the gas valve stem,

said piston having a packing A, preferably of fiber. This piston normally engages a stop 31 on the inner side of the removable chamber head 15.

Connected by a coupling 32 to the lower or hot water outlet of the coil, is a ther- -mostat' tube 33, provided at itsupper or outlet end with a coupling 34 for the hot water suppl line, said coupling having a.

extended fulcrum point 35. This thermostat tube is secured at its base coupling to a "bracket 36 extendingfrom-the side of the a nut 39, against which the yoke 12. The bracket is provided with two rigidly fixed vertically -extended rods 37, each of which has a coefficient of expansion considerably less than the thermostat tube.

The upper ends of these rods extend loosely through openings in a horizontally disposed lever plate 38 and are each provided with plate en ages and acts as a fulcrum point, sa1d plate eing fulcrumed at its rear on the aforesaid fulcrum point 35. Fixed to the outer end of this fulcrum plate is the vertically disposed thermo-operated rod 40 terminating at its lower free end in a point. The pointed end of this rod loosely engages the short end of a lever 41 suspended on a pivot 42 between a pair of brackets 43 which extend upwardly from the yoke 12. This lever which is intended to actuate the water valve from the thermostat, independent of the water piston, through the medium' of the rod 40 extends down to a point opposite the end of the Water valve stem, carries a set screw 44 provided with a jam nut 45 and is intended to regulate the water supply, as will be later described. There is also pivotally arranged between the yoke brackets, on a pin 46, a lever 47, whichls also intended to operate the water valve from the 'water piston, the lower end of which is the end of the water piston stem to cause it bifurcated to straddle a spool, 48 fixed on to move therewith. The upper end of this lever is intended to engage the aforesaid set screw. As is the custom, a pilot light, fed from the gas supply line, by a small pipe 49, is kept burning in the heater to 1gnite the gas from the burner when gas 1s supplied to the burner.

In the practice of my invention, upon opening a water faucet of the hot water supply line, the pressure of the water on the right side of the piston 29 being relieved, causes the incoming coldwater on the rear or left side of the piston to move the same forward. This movement of the piston causes its stem to engage the stem of and open the gas valve-which immediately supplies gas to the burner and is ignited by the pilot light. As the piston moves it also adjusts the lever 47, causing it to engage the set screw 44 and transmit movement to and unseat the water valve 24, through the medium of the lever 41 and stem 25, thus permitting a predetermined amount of the water to flow into the chamber and to the coil by way of the orifices 23 of the sleeve 22. As the water becomes overheated in the coil to a predetermined degreeand passes through the thermostat tube, the said tube as expands, elevating the rear of the plate lever 38 and causing the thermostat rod 40 to descend, .engage and operate the lever 41. In moving the lever 41 the water valve 24 is caused to further open and increase the supply of cold water of full capacity to the coil where it mixes with the overheated water and reduces its temperature. When this reduction of the temperature reaches a predetermined degree, the thermostat contracts and causes the lever 41 to relax its pressure on the water valve stem. As this relaxation occurs the water valve is adjusted by the spring 2-8 suflicient to reduce the sup ply of cold water through the valve to the coil..' This operation of increasing and decreasing the supply of cold water to the heater coil is, as will be apparent, automatic in its operation, the temperature of the'hot water supplied'being practically uniform.

In drawing water from the heater at an .elevation thereabove, as for instance, at the top floor of a dwelling, the partial back pressure induced by the weight of the water in the piping between these elevations, exerted against the water in the coil, has the effect of causing the water in the coil to become heated to a higher degree of temperature than would otherwise occur at a lower elevation. This increase in temperature causes the thermostat to further expand and adjust the water valve to increase the flow of incomingcold water which commingles with that under retarded movement in the coil, thereby decreasing the temperature to the desired degree, and at the sametime causing the delivery of a sufiiciently increased volume of water to compensate for the back pressure and friction in the piping, so that the volume and temperature of the water supplied at such higher elevation is practically the same as that delivered at a lower elevation or atthe heater. In either instance, the volume of water delivered when turned on full, and the temperature thereof, will be the capacity and tempera ture for which the heater is adjusted.

Should water be, drawn from the heater in small stream or partial capacity of the heater, the flow of thewater through the coil being then comparatively sluggish in, movement, the gas to the burners will be cut off at intervals by the movement of the piston. This is due to the building up of lOO a water pressure on the right side thereof,

creased in temperature. Thiscondition of automatically turning ofi". and on of the gas will also prevail where the heater is connected up to a water system of lesser pressure than the average. When water ceases to be drawn from the heater, the back pressure of the water in the forward end of the chamber returns the piston to its normal position. By adjusting the set screw 44 the volume of water admitted by the water valve, or the capacity of the heater, may be regulated to suit all purposes.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

. 1. In a water heater, the combination of a Water motor, a water Valve for governing the flow of water, positively operated by said motor, and a thermostat for moving the water valve independent of the water motor.

v2. In a water heater, the combination of a water motor, a gas valve operated thereby, a water valve for governing the flow of water, positively operated by said motor, and a thermostat for -moving the water valve independent of the water motor.

3. In a water heater, the combination ofa water motor, a gas valve controlled there-' by, a water valve for governing the flow of water, positively operated by said motor, and a thermostat for moving the water valve independent of the water motor and in accordance to the variations in the temperature of the water.

4. In an automatic Water heater the combination of a water actuated motor, a gas supply valve and a water supply valve operated thereby, and a temperature actuated device, the water supply valve being controlled both from the Water motor and from the thermostatic device.

5. In an automatic water heater, the combination of a Water actuated motor, a gas supply valve and a water supply yalve both positively operated by said motor, and means. for increasing the volume of Wate through said valve to the heater proportioned to the increase in temperature of the water therein above a predetermined degree.

6. In an automatic water heater, the com-,

bination of a gas supply valve, a Water supply valve, and a piston, the movement of which in one direction opens said gas valve and water supply valve, and a thermostat adapted when the water reaches a predetermined temperature to further open the water valve.

7. Ina water heater, the combination of a water motor, a gas valve controlled thereby, a water valve for governing the flow of water, positively operated to a predetermined open position by said motor, and thermostatic means for further controlling the water valve independent of the water motor andin accordance to the variations in the temperature of the water.

8. In a water heater, a movable member, a water valve, initially operated thereby, and temperature actuated means to automatically further open said valve to supply a proportionately greater volume of water to the heater commensurate with the increased elevation at which the water is drawn.

9. In a water heater, the combination of a water motor, a gas valve controlled thereby, a water valve for governing the flow of water, means operated by said motor, positively opening said water valve, and thermostatic means for moving said water valve independent of the water motor.

10. In a water heater, the combination of' a water motor, a gas valve controlled thereby, a water valve for governing the flow of water, means operated by said motor, positively opening the water valve, a thermostat, and means operated by the thermostat for moving the water valve independent of the water motor.'

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

JOHN ELLis.

. In the presence of JOHN C. THOMPSON, B. S. HARRISON. 

